Lifetime candle including fuel supply indicating means therefor

ABSTRACT

An improved lifetime candleholder having the general configuration of a candle wherein means are provided for urging the candle to the upper portion of the holder so that the entire candle may be consumed. The improvement consists essentially in means to indicate that the candle has been nearly consumed.

United States Patent 1,908,044 5/1933 Nelson 431/126 1,923,826 8/1933 Hogg 431/17 2,464,361 3/1949 Wilson 431/126 2,469,163 5/1949 Gilmore 431/290 3,283,546 11/1966 Goichi Matsui 431/126 3,388,960 6/1968 Cangialosi 431/126 Primary ExaminerCarr01l B. Dority, .llr. Att0mey-Synnestvedt & Leehner ABSTRACT: An improved lifetime candleholder having the general configuration of a candle wherein means are provided for urging the candle to the upper portion of the holder so that the entire candle may be consumed. The improvement consists essentially in means to indicate that the candle has been nearly consumed.

PATENTED E 19 3,61%279 INVENTOR REYNOLD E. SCHENKE BY J wlzwltflzm ATTORNEY Prior attempts have been made to design a candleholder in the nature of that disclosed herein; however, in these prior attempts, once the candle has been lit, there is very little to indicate the balance of the candle left in the holder. An example of such lifetime candles is seen in the patent to Gilmore US. Pat. No. 2,469,163, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a consumable candle to be used in conjunction with a lifetime candleholder wherein the stub end of the candle has a readily discernible characteristic, such as a variation in the color of the wick or wax to alert the user of the need to replace it.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description in which is set forth a specific embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings FIG. I is a side elevation of the improved candleholder showing the tip of a candle projecting therefrom;

FIG. 2 is a central vertical section through the candleholder and candle showing the consumable candle portion thereof as having a multicolored wick;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the spring-pressed candle ad vancing means or pusher used in conjunction with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a consumable candle, the color of the wax at the stub end thereof being different than that of the balance of the candle;

FIG. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a section on line 6-6 ofFIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the reference numeral I0 denotes an outer tubular holder or housing having the size and shape of an ordinary candle, but considerably larger than the candle which is to be housed therein. The outer housing 10 may be of metal, noninflammable plastic, or other suitable material. Within the outer housing 10 is an inner housing 11 which serves to house the mechanism for holding and advancing a consumable candle 14. The upper portion of the outer housing 10 is tapered to form a reduced opening 12 which conforms more or less with the tip portion of the consumable candle 14 so as to give the appearance of a unitary member.

The consumable candle I4 is positioned within the hollow interior of the inner housing 11 and is constantly urged upward therein by means of the pusher 16 having a seat 17 to accommodate the stub end of the candle. The opposite end of the pusher 16 is provided with a reduced extension 18 about which the upper end of a coil spring is passed so as to abut a shoulder 19 at the junction of the extension I8 and the wall of the inner housing II. The other end of the spring 20 is wedge fitted within the base of the inner housing II. The latter is in turn secured to a closure plug 22 equipped with spring-biased balls 23 which cooperate with apertures 24 in the inner and outer housing to secure them together.

It should be readily apparent from the view disclosed in FIG. 2 that when the candle I4 is lit there is nothing save the flame and the unburned portions of the wick 14a projecting above the reduced opening 12 of the outer housing 10, which are identifiably associated with the consumable candle. In the past it has been necessary to disassemble the candleholder in order to ascertain how much unused candle remains. In accordance with the teaching of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the wick at the stub end of the candle is given a different color than the balance of the wick. This different color may extend for the last 1 inch or so of the candle. When the candle has burned below the last 1 inch, the portion of the wick extending above the liquid wax at the reduced opening 12 of the outer housing and which has not yet turned black from the engulfing flame, clearly indicates that the candle has been nearly consumed and should be replaced. A

Altematlve means of implementing the present invention include the use of a different color wax at the stub end of the candle as is depicted in FIG. 4. It is also possible to incorporate a heat-sensitive material within the wax which would give a sparking or sputtering effect to the flame when the candle has burned below a predetermined level so as to draw attention to the fact that it is nearly depleted.

It will be obvious that numerous modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Iclaim:

l. A lifetime candle including in combination a permanent candle holder and a consumable candle held within the holder;

the candle holder being an elongated, hollow cylinder adapted to receive the candle and to enclose and conceal the candle entirely from view, the candle holder including a tapered orifice at its upper end adapted to grip the tip of the candle and only permit the passage and exposure of the wick of the candle;

spring bias means for continually advancing the candle within the holder toward the tapered orifice as the candle is consumed; and

visual indicating means disposed near the terminal portion of the consumable candle that are adapted to be contained within the tapered orifice, whereby the indicating means can be observed only by a direct inspection of the orifice.

2. A lifetime candle according to claim I wherein the indicating means comprises a terminal portion of the wick of the candle, which terminal portion is colored differently from the remainder of the wick.

3. A lifetime candle according to claim I wherein the indicating means comprises a terminal portion of the candle, which terminal portion is colored differently from the remainder of the candle. 

1. A lifetime candle including in combination a permanent candle holder and a consumable candle held within the holder; the candle holder being an elongated, hollow cylinder adapted to receive the candle and to enclose and conceal the candle entirely from view, the candle holder including a tapered orifice at its upper end adapted to grip the tip of the candle and only permit the passage and exposure of the wick of the candle; spring bias means for continually advancing the candle within the holder toward the tapered orifice as the candle is consumed; and visual indicating means disposed near the terminal portion of the consumable candle that are adapted to be contained within the tapered orifice, whereby the indicating means can be observed only by a direct inspection of the orifice.
 2. A lifetime candle according to claim 1 wherein the indicating means comprises a terminal portion of the wick of the candle, which terminal portion is colored differently from the remainder of the wick.
 3. A lifetime candle according to claim 1 wherein the indicating means comprises a terminal portion of the candle, which terminal portion is colored differently from the remainder of the candle. 